The invention in general relates to fastener driving tools, and more particularly relates to a manual nail driver having a manually actuated mechanical nail feed mechanism.
Manual nail driving tools, such as hammers, are commonly used to drive nails whenever the nail driving operation is not identically repetitive, for example, in the home workshop and in the building and cabinet work trades. The common hammer is an effective and highly portable tool whenever there is sufficient space about the nail in which to swing the hammer. However, often nails must be driven in a relatively confined area where the natural arc of the hammer must be interrupted, as for example between studs, building frameworks, within boxes, etc. In such confined areas driving nails is at least awkward and sometimes impossible. Further, in many confined areas it is difficult if not impossible to hold the nail in place while starting to drive it. Thus a manual nail driver that can be manipulated in relatively confined areas, and which mechanically feeds and holds the nail in proper position for driving is highly desirable.
The functional design of manual nail drivers is well developed and includes many United States patents. One such relevant United States patent is No. 3,901,298.